1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an authentication system and a terminal for determining whether a user is a registered user or not and, more specifically, to an authentication system and a terminal making the determination based on a set identification information reading method.
2. Description of the Background Art
Some image forming apparatuses such as copy machines and printers are provided with a record management device for performing user authentication to limit users and performing budget management and resource management by keeping track of use of the image forming apparatuses. The record management device as such generally includes an identification information reading device for reading identification information for identifying a user. Assume, for example, that a card reader is used as the identification information reading device. In that case, when a card having magnetically or optically recorded identification information thereon is put in the card reader, the record management device performs user authentication based on the identification information read from the card. Then, based on the result, it controls operations of the image forming apparatus and counts the number of printed sheets and the like department by department, or process by process such as color/black-and-white mode, paper size or double-sided/single-sided mode.
By way of example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-351274 (hereinafter denoted as “'274 reference”) discloses a record management device including a card reader capable of reading two different types of codes including a first authentication code corresponding to the image recording apparatus as an object of management, and a second authentication code corresponding to a plurality of image recording apparatuses.
According to the technique disclosed in '274 reference, it is necessary to store the first and second authentication codes in the record management device in advance, to perform the user authentication process. Specifically, in the conventionally used record management device, at the time of initial operation or when a card used for user authentication is changed, a user represented by an administrator must each time decide and set the method of reading identification information to be used for the user authentication process. It is troublesome and imposes much burden on the user. Further, if there is a mistake in setting by the user, quick and accurate user authentication becomes impossible.